Clip board



July 25 1950 M, Mass r 2,516,239

CLIP BOARD Filed June 20, 1946 INVENTOR.

Geor (eM MOss.

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GI i't'ornegs Patented July 25, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Bobertsha w-Fulton Controls Company, Knoxville, Tenn, a corporation of Delaware Application June 20, 1946, Serial No. 678,041

8 Claims. (Cl. 281-44) This invention relates to what arecommonly called clip boards that are used as readily portable supports for retaining sheets of paper or the like employed in making time studies, inventories, records of experiments, etc.

When an investigator is making a time study, observing an experiment, setting up an inventory, etc., it is generally more convenient to carry a sufficiently rigid support for the sheets on which his observations, records, data, or the like, are to be noted than to return repeatedly to a given place to enter his notations, and to this end various expedients have been proposed to facilitate the transport of the sheets upon which such notations are to be made.

It is an object 01 this invention to provide a device of the type referred to of improved construction which renders the clip board more stable when writing thereon.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the type characterized which may be readily applied to a wide variety of services.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the type characterized which is light, rigid, inexpensive and convenient.

Other objects will appear as the description of the invention proceeds.

The invention is susceptible of embodiment in a variety of ways two of which are illustrated on the accompanying drawing, and it is therefore to be understood that the drawing is for purposes of illustration only, and is not to be construed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims for that purpose.

Referring in detail to the drawing wherein the same reference characters are used to designate corresponding parts in the several figures,

Fig. 1 is a perspective elevation of an embodiment of the present invention;

. expensive in production.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and r Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly broken away, and to an enlarged scale, of a somewhat diflerent construction than shown in Fig. 1.

In the form shown, the clip board comprises a fiat body portion I! which may be of generally rectilinear configuration and composed of any suitable material which is sumciently still to provide a proper backing for the sheets to be written upon and also preferably suiiiciently light to minimize fatigue of the user. The preferred material is sheet aluminum of sufllcient gauge to be adequately stiif not only because of its lightness but also because of the facility with which it may be stamped from sheet stock to render the same in- Projecting from one edge of body Ill adjacent a comer thereof is an arm I I Joined to the body Ill by a curve I! of such configuration that when arm II is interposed between the user's arm and his body, said curve will conform comfortably to the stomach curve above the waist. The opposite side oi the arm ii is connected to the body I0 by a curve It such as to fit comfortably into the inside bend of the arm at the elbow when the board is supported as hereinafter explained.

Diagonally opposite the arm I! the body I. is provided with one or more extensions ll of suitable size and form for retaining appropriate instruments needed during the observation, such as one or more stop watches, recording instruments, etc. A preferred construction comprises a pair of extensions ll having a curved intermediate surface l5 and connected to the body It by curved surfaces It and ll of such size and so related that said extensions It may be readily grasped with the thumb applied around the curve It, one or more fingers applied around the curve I5, and the remaining fingers applied at the curve ll. With the arm I I interposed between the body of the user and the portion of his upper arm adjacent the elbow, and the forearm laid diagonally across the under side of the board, the board may be firmly gripped by the hand at the extensions l4, and thereby the board has maximum stability so that it is unlikely to tilt or shift under the pressure of writing even though the pressure may be applied adjacent the comers of the board. At

the same time, the position of the board with respect to the user's arm is such as to minimize fatigue in holding the board as it is carried about from place to place. While the board as illustrated has been shown as arranged to be carried by the left arm by one who writes with his right hand, it will be observed that by inverting the board what has been said applies equally when the board is supported by the right arm of one who writes with his left hand.

In order to detachably retain one or more sheets of paper or the like used in making records of observations, the board is provided with a clip of any suitable construction. As shown, a base member 20 is secured in any suitable way to the body of the board as by screws, rivets, bolts, or the like 2i and carries a pair of forwardly extending ears 22. Mounted in said ears is a pin 23 carrying one or more'coil springs 24 by which the pressure member 25 of the clip is urged into gripping contact with such sheet or sheets, such member being here shown as provided with a 3 broad paper engaging portion 26 and an upwardly projecting actuating member in the form of a thumb piece 21 by which the clip may be opened and closed to receive and grip the papers to be retained. It will be observed that said thumb piece is located adjacent the position of the thumb when the board is being supported as above explained,so that papers may be released and inserted without withdrawing the hand from its normal supporting position with respect to the board.

The extensions I, as before referred to, are preferably adapted for detachable retention of stop watches and other instruments to be used during observation, and in order to provide a degree of flexibility as respects the size and character of the instruments to be retained, the

' clamping means provided on the extensions H are preferably made adjustable. As shown more particularl in Fig. 1, the extensions as originally formed may have any suitable number of ears M, shown in dotted line in Fig. 3, which may be bent as shown at 3i in Fig. 1 to a retaining position v with respect to the periphery of the instrument to be held. Adjustably mounted on each extension, in the alternative form shown in Fig. 3, is a clamping member 32 originally formed as shown in dotted line in Fig. 3 with any suitable number of ears 33 which may be bent up to retaining pm sition with respect to the periphery of the instrument to be held to cooperate with one or more ears at the extremity of each extension M. Any suitable provision may be used for mounting the clamping members 32 so that they may be adjustable, the clamping members illustrated being provided with slots 35 and held by bolts, thumb screws or the like 3 so that when the latter are loosened the clamping members I! may be adjusted into firm gripping relationship with the instruments to be held.

Depending upon the service to which the board is to be put. it may be readily provided with additional features to increase itsserviceability. Thus the corner Ill may be shaped with precision to constitute a right angle that may be used in making appropriate observations; the edge II as 11 lustrated may be formed as a straight edge, beveled and provided with indicia so that it may be used like a rule in measuring distances; the end of the arm ll may be semicircular and provided with suitable indicia "so that it can be used as a protractor; and one or more suitable tables such as would be commonly used by the observer may be imposed on the face of the board as indicated at 43. While a plurality of such supplementary provisions have been illustrated as applied to one board, it will be obvious that less than all of these, or additional comparable provisions, may be provided depending upon the particular use to which the board is to be put. Other supplementary features to facilitate convenient use of providing the board with supplementary data to facilitate his work much time and eil'ort on the part of the observer may be saved.

While the illustrated embodiment has been described with considerable particularity, it is to be expressly understood that the invention is not limited thereto, as the same may take a variety of forms, as will now be apparent to those skilled in the art, and changes may be made in the details of construction, arrangement of parts, etc.. and certain features may be used without other features, without departing from the spirit of this invention. Reference is therefore to be had to the appended claims for a definition of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A clip board including a generally rectangular body portion provided with a flat surface to receive a sheet on which written entries may be made, means carried by said body portion for detachably clipping a sheet thereon, one side edge of said body portion being adapted to extend across the forearm of the user close to the upper arm at the elbow with said forearm extending diagonally under and supp r ing said body portion and with the inner edge of said body portion engaging and supported by the body of the user, and an arm projecting substantially at right angles from said one side edge adjacent the inner corner of said body portion, Sai Drojecting arm being adapted to extend inside the upper arm and in engagement with the body of the user to stabilize said board against tilting around said forearm.

2. A clip board as defined in claim 1, adjacent portions of the inner edges of said projecting arm and said body-portion forming a concave curve adapted to conform generally to the curva-' ture of the user's body. I

3. A clip board as defined in claim 2, adjacent portions of the outer edge of said projecting arm and of said one side edge forming a concave curve adapted to conform generally to the curvature of the upper arm of the user- 4. A' clip board including a generally rectangular body portion having a flat surface to receive a sheet on which written entries may be made. means carried by said body portion for detachably' clipping a sheet thereon, one side edgeofsaid body portion being adapted to extend across the forearm of the userclose to the upper; arm at the elbow with said. forearm extending diagonally under andsupporting said'body' portionnerol said body portion, said projecting arm being adapted to extend inside the upper arm and the board may also be provided. Thus as shown I at 44 in Fig. 3 a clip for retaining a pencil or the like may be attached at a location where it will not interfere with the papers or the clip member 25.

It will therefore be perceived that by the present invention a clip board has been provided which assures firmness and stability during transportation and use with a minimum of fatigue to the arm. The board may be readily carried by in engagement with the body of the user to stabi lize said board. against tilting around said forearm, said body portion having at least one extension therefrom located adjacent its outer corner diagonally opposite said inner corner to be grasped by the users hand.

5. A clip board as defined. in claim 4, said extension having means for detachabiy retaining an instrument thereon and said means being ad- Justable to grip instruments of diiferent sizes.

6. A clip board as defined inclaim 4 the"adja'-' cent portions of the inner edges of said projecting. arm and said body portion forming a concave'curve adapted to conform generall to the curvature of the user's body. V 7. A clip board-as, defined in.claim 4. the pemm am k'fiphery of said ward. bearing indicia, to facm- REWEmENEES (CH'IPEHI) mm the of @bsewmion by use??- The ioilowin references are oi record in w 8. A clip bmzd as defined in claim said sheet me of this i i mg clipping means having an actuatmg member dis- ;gmsed adjacent the normal position m the mers 5.5 WED STATES PATENTS thumb when gripping said extwsion. Number Name Date 2,271,294 Fwd Jan. 27, 19 32 GEORGE M. MOSS. 2,28%,501 Welsh May 26,, 19453 

